Natural Hazards

Question 1

Define a hazard.

Answer 1

A potential threat to human life or property.

Question 2

What is a natural hazard?

Answer 2

A potential threat caused by natural processes.

Question 3

What are the three types of natural hazard?

Answer 3

1) Geophysical hazards (caused by land processes)
2) Atmospheric hazards (caused by climatic processes)
3) hydrological hazard (caused by water movement)

Question 4

Give an example of a geophysical hazard.

Answer 4

Earthquakes, volcanos and tsunamis.

Question 5

Give an example of an atmospheric hazard.

Answer 5

Tropical cyclones, droughts and wildfires.

Question 6

Give an example of a hydrological hazard.

Answer 6

Floods.

Question 7

Define the word disaster.

Answer 7

When a hazard seriously affects humans.

Question 8

Define risk.

Answer 8

The likelihood that humans will be affected by a hazard.

Question 9

Define vulnerability.

Answer 9

How susceptible a population is to the damage caused by a hazard.

Question 10

What 5 circumstance might affects a persons perception of a hazard?

Answer 10

-Wealth
-Religeon
-Education
-Past experience
-Personality

Question 11

Why might wealth affect a person perception of hazards?

Answer 11

Richer people can afford to move to areas that are less prone to hazards so they may perceive the risk as smaller.

Question 12

Why might religion affect a persons perception of hazards?

Answer 12

Some people view hazards as acts of god sent to punish people.

Question 13

Why might education affect someone’s perception of a hazard?

Answer 13

More education= better understanding of risks or believe they can reduce risks.

Question 14

Why might past experience affect someone’s perception of a hazard?

Answer 14

If someone or their immediate family has experienced a past hazard it may make them more scared or confident.

Question 15

Why might personality affect a person perception of hazards?

Answer 15

Some people fear hazards some people find them exciting (storm chasers).

Question 16

How might people attempt to reduce the magnitude of a hazard?

Answer 16

Not possible for all hazards but it may be by adapting, preparing or mitigating the risks posed.

Question 17

What is risk sharing?

Answer 17

Sharing the costs of reducing a hazard and weighing out the benefits of preventing it.
Eg: buying insurance when living in a hazard prone area. But a lot of people pay for insurance so the cost is shared.

Question 18

How might people attempt to reduce the impacts of a hazard?
Give an example.

Answer 18

Prediction: working out when and where a hazard might take place (evacuation)
Adaptation: changing to reduce impacts (earthquake resistant buildings)

Question 19

What is fatalism?

Answer 19

When a person just accepts that a hazard cannot be avoided.

Question 20

Define hazard incidence.

Answer 20

How often a hazard occurs.

Question 21

Define magnitude.

Answer 21

How intense a hazard is.

Question 22

Define distribution of hazards.

Answer 22

The areal extent of a hazard.

Question 23

Why might level of development be important in managing hazards.

Answer 23

Less developed countries may lack wealth and technology.